destiny fulfilled
by shel
Summary: the angel of destiny returns to the charmed ones after their greatest victory...


**CHARMED **

**"Destiny Fulfilled"**

by shel

© november 2005

_disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…_

_rating: pg-13_

_summary: the angel of destiny returns to the charmed ones after their greatest victory…_

_timeline: may 2006…_

_archive: please don't without expressed permission…_

_notes: the muse was immediately inspired after seeing s8's 'vaya con leo' and wrote this fluffy bit of a finale up in little more than an hour…there's minor reference to s6's 'legend of sleepy halliwell' which, ironically enough, wasn't consciously intended…please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…_

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* * *

May 2006 **_

"You have sacrificed much in fulfilling your destiny," the Angel of Destiny announced in the shambles that had been the Halliwell living room.

"You can say that again," Billie muttered while she held her broken arm close to her chest.

"We're not the only ones," Paige dejectedly told the Angel. "What about the thousands of lives that were lost in a quake that was more demonic than natural disaster? What about them? What about their families, their loved ones? What about what they sacrificed?"

"Their loss has notgone unnoticed, Paige," the Angel acknowledged. "But the loss would have been millions if not for your bravery in defeating this great evil."

Piper wearily sank onto one of the cushions on the floor next to Phoebe. "Yeah, that's us, the brave Charmed Ones." She reached over and checked the bandage covering Phoebe's abdomen. "I think the bleeding's finally stopped," she sighed with relief as she reached for a dusty blanket and covered Phoebe. Then she held three fingers in front of her sister's eyes and asked, "How many fingers?"

"Three," Phoebe weakly replied.

"Good," Piper decided, "you might only have a minor concussion after all. But we still need to get you to the hospital."

Phoebe shook her head and tried not to moan from the movement. She leaned back against the end of the sofa and told her sister, "The hospitals are overloaded with real wounded. I'll be okay." But even as she said so, she didn't have the energy to keep her eyes open.

"Phoebe?" Piper worried and she lightly shook her sister's shoulders.

"I'm fine," Phoebe whispered. But suddenly fear passed through her and she grabbed Piper's hand, "Daddy? He's okay, isn't he? He's gonna be okay, right, Piper? And the boys? Where are the boys?"

Piper immediately hugged her in an attempt to calm her, "The boys are with Sam, Phoebe, remember?"

Phoebe's heart was still racing, "What about Daddy?"

"He was evacuated with the others and taken to another hospital. We'll visit him as soon as the roads open."

"Maybe I should orb you," Paige suggested.

"No magic!" Phoebe gasped in fear. "No more magic! Not until its safe!"

"The demons are gone, sweetie," Piper calmly said as she stroked Phoebe's back. "We're safe, we're all safe." But Phoebe continued to tremble and Piper looked to Paige who shrugged helplessly. Of them all Phoebe had been most affected by the magical war and she was afraid that her sister would never be the same.

"So what now?" Billie quietly asked.

"Now," Paige scanned the devastation of their home, "now we rebuild. And we continue to do what we did before – protect the innocents."

"What's the point," Billie shrugged as best she could, "if demons aren't around anymore?"

"Demons aren't the only reason why we help innocents," Piper answered distractedly.

Paige nodded, "There are other evils in this world, Billie, that aren't demonic. I'm sure we'll find plenty to do to keep ourselves occupied." She then smiled, "And I'm sure your sister will be taking up most of your time."

Billie looked down at her feet and shook her head, "I don't think she wants my help. I'm not sure she even likes me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Paige said as she carefully tried to hug the young woman who, in less than a year, had become family. "Your sister needs time to adjust to being back in this realm and she needs you."

"Will you help? I mean she's a witch too and I'm not sure I can teach her and there's still so much I need to learn," Billie hesitantly asked.

"Of course we will," Paige immediately answered. "You know you always have a place here with us."

"You're part of the family," Piper assured Billie.

Phoebe shifted slightly in Piper's arms and added, "We'll do anything we can to help you and your sister."

Billie sniffed back some tears as she gazed from one sister to the other, "Thank you…"

As Phoebe leaned back again against the sofa she noticed the Angel still standing in the room. "I thought you said we fulfilled our destiny."

"You did," the Angel smiled. "The three of you have exceeded any and all expectations and I am here to grant you your reward."

"We didn't do this for a reward," Phoebe snapped with energy she didn't truly have.

"We never did," Paige agreed.

Piper patted Phoebe's arm to settle her, "We do this because it's the right thing to do."

"Which is why," the Angel nodded, "you are the greatest witches of your time."

"Yay, us," Phoebe unenthusiastically whispered as she closed her eyes again and grit her teeth against the pain coursing through her body.

"Piper," the Angel addressed, "I believe there is someone you were promised to see again if you survived."

Piper's heart froze as she scrambled to her feet while a golden light filled the room. "Oh God…" Her hand flew to her mouth as the lights dissipated to reveal her husband standing before her.

"Leo…" Paige uttered as happy tears began to stream down her cheeks. He looked exactly as he had the moment he'd been frozen all those months ago.

"Thank you," Phoebe whispered to the Angel as she watched Piper sobbingly embrace Leo.

"I love you," Piper cried between kisses. "I love you and I don't ever want to lose you again."

The Angel of Destiny smiled and turned to the other Charmed Ones, "You each have one wish to make but first…Billie…"

"Me?" Billie squeaked.

"You were instrumental to the Charmed Ones' success," the Angel explained. "Don't you have a desire of your own?"

Billie shyly glanced at Paige before she asked, "Would it be too much trouble for my sister to have a life of her own?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

Billie took a deep breath, "My sister was kidnapped by a demon when she was a little girl and raised in a realm where nightmares were real and the norm. I know you can't take away her experiences but could you at least give her some sort of cover for that time to make her life back here a bit easier? One less thing to worry about?"

The Angel was silent a moment before nodding, "I think we can work something out for her."

"Thank you," Billie sighed with relief.

"Now, Paige, what would you like for yourself?"

Paige shrugged, "My family's safe, Henry, my closest friends…But I think what's bothered me ever since we discovered it…I want Magic School back."

"But the demons are trapped now in the Underworld," the Angel countered. "The school is safe and free for all good magic to return."

Paige shook her head, "It could take years to repair the damage the demons caused. I want it all back now, the way it was before Zankou. And I want it protected better than before."

The Angel approved with a smile and agreed, "Done." Then she turned to Phoebe, "And what about you, Phoebe?"

Phoebe glanced at Piper and Leo who hadn't stopped hugging and kissing. "Like Paige said, everyone we love survived. And the demons are gone and Magic School's back, what more could I want?"

"Surely there's something your heart desires."

Phoebe shook her head and immediately regretted the action. "There's nothing I want."

Piper suddenly pulled away from Leo, but still held his hand, and took a step towards Phoebe, "How can you say that?"

Phoebe stared at her sister in surprise, "I'm not going to wish that I magically become pregnant just to fulfill some premonition I'm not sure is still meant to come true."

"Of course it is," Paige automatically said even though it had been months since Phoebe had spoken of that old vision. "And maybe when we've all had time to recover --"

"That's not your wish," Piper interrupted, "and you know it!" She released Leo's hand and knelt next to her sister, "I was there, Pheebs, when you were hurt. I heard what you said when you thought you were dying."

"Which I didn't," Phoebe quietly groaned as she shifted position, "and there's no point in --"

"You deserve to be happy," Piper insisted, "just like the rest of us."

Phoebe tiredly rubbed her eyes, "We just saved the world, that makes me plenty happy."

"There are no strings," the Angel stated, "no personal gain. You are entitled to one wish, Phoebe."

Paige finally caught on to what Piper was referring and quickly knelt at Phoebe's other side, "It's okay to wish for it. Piper's right, Phoebe, you deserve to be happy, especially after everything we've been through."

"I won't do this to you," Phoebe firmly resolved. "I won't be selfish like that, not ever again. I won't destroy us."

"That'll never happen," Piper promised, "because nothing and no one can ever tear this family apart."

"We love you, Phoebe," Paige added as she wrapped her arms around both sisters, "and we want you to be happy. And right now I think this's the only thing to make you happy, really happy."

Piper looked up at the Angel, "Could you do it? Will we be safe?"

"As safe as anyone in this family can ever be," the Angel smiled.

"You hear that, Pheebs?" Paige gently nudged her sister. "Even Destiny is on your side."

"I'm afraid," Phoebe whispered. "I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid we're out of time."

"You won't," Piper swore after a quick encouraging nod from Leo, "not with love on your side, not with your sisters on your side."

"Phoebe, I must know of your decision," the Angel patiently requested. "Is this what you want?"

Phoebe couldn't speak and looked to each sister for help. Each reached for one of her hands and squeezed them but she still feared, "I don't want to hurt you…"

Piper kissed Phoebe's temple, "Oh, sweetie, you won't…"

"Go for it, honey," Paige whispered in her sister's ear. "Don't waste this chance."

Phoebe squeezed her eyes shut and croaked, "Okay." She opened her eyes which were blurred with tears and instructed the Angel, "Do it…"

The Angel smiled, "Then until I see you again…Be well, be happy."

Billie, Leo, and the sisters averted their eyes when the room suddenly filled with a blinding golden light. When they finally looked back to where the Angel had stood, Piper and Paige grinned while Phoebe gasped.

Piper kissed Phoebe again and accepted Leo's help to stand.

Paige squeezed Phoebe's shoulder, stood and stepped back.

"Is that…" Billie whispered to Paige.

"In the flesh," Paige nodded before she greeted, "Welcome back, Cole."

But Cole barely acknowledged her or the pat on the shoulder that Piper gave him. All he saw was a wounded Phoebe propped up on the floor staring back at him in shock. He quickly knelt in front of her but was afraid to touch her for fear of hurting her.

Phoebe couldn't breathe and practically shrank back into the sofa. But when she felt his fingers caressing her cheek, a choked sob slipped out and she brought her trembling hands to his own cheeks. "You're real?"

"And I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

Her words came it in spurts, almost simultaneously with each breath, "Oh God…Oh God…Cole…Oh God, Cole…"

As he leaned forward to pull her into his arms, she collapsed against him and he instinctively tightened his hold on her and hoarsely told her, "I love you, Phoebe…"

"Please…" Phoebe whispered.

Shocked he may have hurt her even more, Cole immediately pulled back and apologized when she moaned, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He framed her face between his hands and firmly kissed her forehead, "I'll never hurt you, I swear it, I love you, Phoebe."

But he'd misunderstood and Phoebe couldn't get her thoughts together quickly enough before he hugged her again. "Don't ever let me go," she pleaded in a whisper. When he began to pull away, she twisted her hands in his shirt and tried to keep him close, "Please don't leave…I need you, Cole…I lo--"

She froze in his arms and he worried, "Phoebe, honey, what's wrong?"

"Cole…"

But it was as if she didn't even see him and he looked to Piper, "A premonition?"

Piper stepped closer, "Honey, what'd you see?"

Dazed, Phoebe still recognized her sister's look of concern and allowed Cole to brush away tears she hadn't realized she'd shed, "I was picking up my ladybug from school…"

Paige sighed with relief that her sister had that premonition again, "I told you she was still in your future."

"What ladybug?" Cole asked at the same time.

Piper shook her head, "But what happened, Pheebs? What was different this time?"

"This time, I saw…Oh, Piper, waiting next to me was…" Phoebe turned back to a confused Cole and caressed his cheek, "Waiting next to me was her Daddy."

_**The End**_


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